NEWBERG, Ore. –  Allyssa DenDekker and Erin Hento threw complete games and Courtney Howard and Rachel Fielder each had three-RBI games as the George Fox University Bruins opened their home season with a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader sweep of the University of Puget Sound Loggers 8-2 and 4-3 Saturday afternoon here at Morse Field.

Game 1 – George Fox 8, Puget Sound 2

DenDekker improved to 3-0 in the opener as she scattered eight hits, allowed only one earned run and one walk, and struck out three while getting a 13-hit attack from her teammates.

The Bruins jumped out early with four runs in the first inning.  Kayla Anderson doubled to lead off and Kat Hylton and Amanda Woods singled for the first run.  Kerrianne Davidson singled in Hylton, Howard's grounder to short scored Woods, and singles by Fielder and Nicole Renteria scored Davidson.

Jenna Kirk singled to score Anderson with an unearned run in the second, and Davidson drew a bases-loaded walk in the fourth to force in Hylton.  Howard's double in the sixth plated Hylton and Kirk, who had reached on singles and moved up when Davidson was hit by a pitch.

Puget Sound got its only two runs in the third as Lisa Colombo's grounder to short scored Taylor Jones, who had singled, stolen second, and advanced on a wild pitch, and Tahni Arndt scored when Chelsea Lindroth reached on an error at first.

Hylton went 3-4 with three runs scored to lead the Bruins, while Woods, Kirk, and Fielder had two hits each.  Jenica Holt and Shannon Reed had two hits apiece for the Loggers.

Megan Campbell went the distance on the mound for UPS, allowing seven earned runs with two strikeouts and two walks.

Game 2 – George Fox 4, Puget Sound 3

Hento raised her record to 3-2 in the nightcap, spacing six hits with six strikeouts and one walk and giving her team a chance to rally from an early 3-0 deficit.

Puget Sound loaded the bases in the top of the second inning on singles by Brianna Huber and Jones and a walk to Arndt.  Olivia Turner singled to center to drive in two, and Arndt scored on a double steal.

The Bruins got two runs back in the home half.  Kirk led off with a single, Davidson reached on an error at third, and Howard was hit by a pitch to fill the sacks.  Fielder followed with a double to center to drive in two.

George Fox tied it in the fourth when Fielder walked and Renteria bunted for a hit, Felicia Chavez sacrificed, and Fielder scored on Anderson's ground out to short.  An inning later, the Bruins got the go-ahead run as Woods reached on an error at short, Kirk sacrificed her to second, Davidson singled her to third, and Fielder singled to right to score Woods.  Hento then worked a perfect sixth and seventh to preserve the victory.

Reed took the loss for the Loggers, allowing five hits and all four runs, three earned, in 4.1 innings.  She fanned one and walked three. 

Fielder was the only Bruin with two hits, while Huber and Jones each had two hits for the Loggers.

NEXT: George Fox and Puget Sound conclude their series with a doubleheader on Sunday at 12:00 noon.